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Mental Health of US Workers Hit "All-Time Low" at End of 2021
During the final months of 2021, depression increased 87%, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) increased 54%, and the risk of addiction in men increased 80% among employed Americans, according to findings from the report Mental Health Index: US Worker Edition.
Total Brain, the mental health monitoring and support platform that provided the data, characterized the mental health of US workers as at “an all-time low.”
The data were culled from a weekly randomized sample of 500 working Americans, from a variety of regions, job levels, and industries, who use the Total Brain platform. The report was produced in partnership with the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, One Mind at Work, and the HR Policy Association and its American Health Policy Institute.
“The Omicron surge has had a parallel effect on the mental health of our workforce,” said Michael Thompson, president and CEO of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions. “While we had hoped the worst was behind us, employers will want to double down on efforts to create a supportive environment as the issues created by the pandemic continue.”
Depression, Anxiety Increased More in Young Women than Young Men During Pandemic
Between November 29, 2021, and December 19, 2021, 1 in 4 workers screened positive for PTSD—an increase of 54% from the last 2 weeks of September 2021 and 136% from before the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to the report. Depression was up 87% since September 2021 and 63% since pre-pandemic times.
Male workers, in particular, showed noteworthy trends. During the fourth quarter of 2021, addiction risk rose 80%, depression rates grew 118%, and social anxiety increased 162% in men overall. In men ages 40 through 59 specifically, general anxiety was up 94%.
“It is our hope that as the Omicron variant dissipates, the stress, depression, and anxiety of America’s workers also declines,” said Margaret Faso, director of health care research and policy at the HR Policy Association, “and the associated behavioral health of all Americans improves.”
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